The present invention relates to an impact intrusion barrier device and, more particularly, to a barrier device which is particularly adapted for use in a vehicle door or the like for protecting vehicle occupants from side impacts with other vehicles.
There exist numerous safety devices for vehicle occupants which provide increased protection for the occupants when subjected to front or rear collisions, such as seat belts and air bags. However, there are a lack of effective safety devices which protect vehicle occupants from side impacts, particularly impacts to the front and/or rear doors of the vehicle.
Most motor vehicle doors include an outer door panel and an inner door panel in spaced relation such that a door cavity is defined therebetween. Disposed within the door cavity are various door systems such as locking mechanisms and window actuating means. Without further structural reinforcement, such hollow vehicle doors do not provide sufficient impact intrusion resistance to provide a desired level of safety protection for the vehicle occupants. Accordingly, when a vehicle of this type is subjected to a side impact from a collision or the like, the inner and outer door panels provide only limited resistance to door deformation and impact intrusion.
Such limited side impact resistance often results in serious injury to the vehicle occupants.
Therefore, a need exists for an economical and reliable impact intrusion barrier device which can be used in a vehicle door cavity or the like to provide increased protection from side impact intrusion. The impact intrusion barrier device of the present invention meets this need.